How do you calculate the area of a trapezoid?

The formula for calculating the area of a trapezoid is derived from the average length of the two parallel sides, known as the bases, multiplied by the height. In this case, the correct formula is A = (1/2)(b1 + b2)h. This reflects the idea that the area can be visualized as taking the average of the two base lengths (b1 and b2), which amounts to adding them together and dividing by two. This average is then multiplied by the height (h), which is the perpendicular distance between the two bases.

With this formula, you can correctly compute the area of any trapezoid by simply substituting the lengths of the bases and the height. This method emphasizes the trapezoid's shape and incorporates both bases into the area calculation, ensuring an accurate result for the geometric figure.

The other formulas provided do not correctly represent the area of a trapezoid. While one might relate to the area of a rectangle or a different polygon, they fail to capture the unique characteristics of a trapezoid and therefore aren't applicable in this context.